An upturn in form when the penultimate phase of flyaway races got under way in the Americas offered hope, but proved to be a false dawn.
Asked during our conversation about his latest Q1 exit if he had a message for the fans who were loyally sticking by him, the then 105-time race winner was almost lost for words.
“I don’t really have a message right now,” sighed Hamilton, who dipped his head, paused for several seconds and took a moment to process what was happening.
“I’m incredibly grateful for the support that I’ve had all year.
I wouldn’t have made it through this year without them.”
An upturn in form when the penultimate phase of flyaway races got under way in the Americas offered hope, but proved to be a false dawn. A P4 finish in Austin and a top-three starting position in Mexico City were followed by a Q2 exit and painful retirement in Brazil, and successive Q1 eliminations in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.
Someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, Hamilton continued to show the pain he was feeling at every twist and turn – his defeated exchanges with the media prompting many in the paddock to ponder whether he would even remain with Ferrari into 2026.
When he entered the TV pen after Qualifying for the Qatar Grand Prix, as that long, painful campaign drew to a close, things appeared to be reaching crisis point once more. Asked during our conversation about his latest Q1 exit if he had a message for the fans who were loyally sticking by him, the then 105-time race winner was almost lost for words.
“I don’t really have a message right now,” sighed Hamilton, who dipped his head, paused for several seconds and took a moment to process what was happening. “I’m sorry,” he eventually added, holding back tears. “I’m incredibly grateful for the support that I’ve had all year. I wouldn’t have made it through this year without them.”
